Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Acadia Earns One Star in the 2013 Michelin Guide

Pop the champagne, Acadia (1639 S. Wabash), one of the Sloop's newest fine dining establishments, has earned a star in the 2013 Michelin Guide. This is a huge honor for the restaurant as it was one of only 19 restaurants to be included in the list this year.

Receiving but a single Michelin star elevates the restaurant in prestige, and the financial impact can be considerable; foreign visitors in particular are sensitive to Michelin’s mandates.

Conversely, the absence of a Michelin star, or, worse, the loss of a previously earned star, can be devastating to a restaurant’s ego, though the effect on the bottom line is less certain. Local residents continue to be the life’s blood of all but the most rarefied restaurants in town.

The editor seemed really excited about Acadia and Sixteen and hopes to continue to see them move up. She also thought Goosefoot "was really nice as well" and likes "seeing Chris Nugent really doing his own thing, different from what he was doing at Les Nomades." Also seeing its star rise this year was Mexique, Carlos Gaytan's West Town French-inspired Mexican spot. "We are super excited about Mexique," the editor said. "We really wanted to find another Mexican restaurant to give a star to. Chicago has great Mexican food."

Let's also not forget that Everest (440 S. Franklin) received a star again. While it's not in the Sloop, it's pretty damn close.

Exciting times for Acadia. Congrats to them on their big honor and bringing some dining pride to the Sloop.

Now if they could just get the city to work on that promised park next door...